View articles by Month

Surge in nuclear builds sustainable energy mix

A surge in new nuclear plants coming online is helping to build a sustainable global energy mix, reduce emissions and meet electricity demand, says Agneta Rising, the World Nuclear Association’s director general. Speaking on the opening day of the Atomexpo 2018 conference in Sochi, Russia, Rising said nuclear energy had a vital role to play in the global energy mix, providing a strong foundation of reliable and low-carbon generation to help support more variable clean energy generation options. Rising says 55 new reactors, in twelve countries, are expected to start within the next five years, with a combined capacity of 55 GW. This is equivalent to adding nearly 15% to global nuclear capacity, she said. The Harmony goal, put forward on behalf of the nuclear industry by World Nuclear Association, is a vision of a future energy system where nuclear energy supplies 25% of global electricity demand by 2050 as part of a low-carbon generation mix, which would require 1000 GW of new nuclear build.